This week, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (the Board) approved a motion authored by Supervisors Holly J. Mitchell and Janice Hahn that directs the Los Angeles County Internal Services Department (ISD) and Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) to launch a three-year Community Hiring Pilot Program. The pilot will be countywide and connect high-road jobs from five of ISD’s largest procurement contracts to residents living in zip codes with high rates of poverty.
Each year, the County spends $6 to $9 billion dollars on good and services to meet the needs of its 10 million residents. Last year, the Board passed Mitchell’s motion committing the County to using its purchasing power to expand access to high-road jobs – jobs that provide family supporting pay, benefits, and growth opportunities – for residents living in communities with high concentrations of poverty. Today’s action moves that commitment to implementation.
“This pilot program links procurement, workforce development, and economic mobility into a coordinated strategy that will provide quality job opportunities for talented and qualified residents in communities that have face historical under investment and high rates of poverty,” said Supervisor Mitchell. “We have an opportunity to show how equitable hiring practices tied to how we spend our money are good for business and for strengthening our efforts to end the cycle of poverty.”…